Bringing Down the House

Bringing Down the House had been written by Ben Mezrich. It is the inside story of the MIT students who had made millions in Vegas casinos. The story is based on members of the MIT Blackjack Team which used the card counting techniques to make profits. http://vulcanrussia.net

Main Character

The main character of the book is Kevin Lewis who had joined the team in 1993. He had been recruited by the top players of the team. The team that has been talked about in the book had been the one that had made the largest profits in the history of MIT's team.

Students who had been enrolled in MIT since 1979 had formed teams and played in groups at casinos using the card counting techniques. However, in the early years the team had not been very successful. It was only later when Bill Kaplan and Massar joined hands that the glorious era of success and fortune began for the MIT Team.

Content

In the book, Ben Mezrich talks about the famous MIT team and their managers who lived just one dream, making money by using their mathematical skills. The team used group techniques, pooled in money and employed the card counting techniques to their advantage.

Bringing Down the House is the author's first attempt at non-fiction. The book is written in third party narrative as Kevin Lewis, the main character of the group gets recruited in the MIT Team. The book follows his journey through his time with the team when he gets trained and hits the Vegas casinos for the first time. The character's journey from being an amateur to a real professional, while making millions of dollars and leading a lifestyle that others only dream about is quite interesting.

The book is quite engaging and would be interesting for all, even those who are not interested in blackjack. The book talks about how the team made weekend trips to Vegas for making money, about the clashes between the different characters in the team and also about the dangers it faced at the casinos from the pit managers.